Beaches made ready; will swimmers come?

Denis J. O'Malley

Published 12:10 am, Saturday, May 24, 2014

Mary Anne Stamets, of Danbury, and Cisco Bordoi, 6, throw stones into Candlewood Lake on the beach at Candlewood Town Park in Danbury, Conn. Friday, May 23, 2014. Local beaches are cleaning up to prepare for visitors during beach season.
Photo: Tyler Sizemore

Mary Anne Stamets, of Danbury, and Cisco Bordoi, 6, walk on the beach at Candlewood Town Park in Danbury, Conn. Friday, May 23, 2014. Local beaches are cleaning up to prepare for visitors during beach season.
Photo: Tyler Sizemore

Mary Anne Stamets, of Danbury, and Cisco Bordoi, 6, walk on the beach at Candlewood Town Park in Danbury, Conn. Friday, May 23, 2014. Local beaches are cleaning up to prepare for visitors during beach season.
Photo: Tyler Sizemore

Fisherman fish from their boat near the shore of Candlewood Town Park in Danbury, Conn. Friday, May 23, 2014. Local beaches are cleaning up to prepare for visitors during beach season.
Photo: Tyler Sizemore

Mary Anne Stamets, of Danbury, and Cisco Bordoi, 6, walk on the beach at Candlewood Town Park in Danbury, Conn. Friday, May 23, 2014. Local beaches are cleaning up to prepare for visitors during beach season.
Photo: Tyler Sizemore

DANBURY -- The recent temperamental weather will determine whether the work crews feverishly preparing for Memorial Day weekend, the traditional beginning of summer, might have saved themselves the trouble.

Workers clad in orange T-shirts could be seen across the city last week, spreading mulch in flower beds, whipping mowers through the grass and -- perhaps most important -- prepping the sands at Candlewood Town Park for the start of this year's swimming season.

Should the sun break through Saturday, hundreds of beachgoers would be expected at the Town Park, where lifeguards will be on duty from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. each weekend day.

"If it's a warm day we usually get a pretty good crowd -- hundreds," said Recreation Director Nicholas Kaplanis. "It really depends on the temperatures."

Throughout the region, would-be swimmers are poised for their first shot at still-chilly lake waters.

Town Park Beach in Brookfield will open at 11 a.m. Saturday and Monday, noon on Sunday, and close at 6 p.m. all weekend. The beach will only be open on weekends until the middle of June, said Brookfield Parks and Recreation Director Dennis DiPinto.

Lifeguards will be posted at the beach throughout the weekend, he said, and "weather permitting, maybe we'll get some patrons."

"It looks like Sunday and Monday we might have a shot, but Saturday doesn't look all that pleasant yet," DiPinto said. "I'm pretty confident by the end of the weekend we'll have some folks."

Either way, crews in Brookfield have been busy painting and cleaning in preparation for the beach's opening.

"There's no shortage of things we have our staff doing in the meantime," DiPinto said.

In Sandy Hook, Eichler's Cove Beach at Lake Zoar will open at noon and close at 6 p.m. throughout the weekend.

Lynn Deming Park in New Milford will open for the early swimmers 30 minutes before sunrise, but lifeguards won't take their posts until 11 a.m. The park will stay open until 30 minutes after sunset.

Squantz Pond State Park in New Fairfield will open at 8 and close at sunset.

In Ridgefield, Martin Park Beach at Great Pond will open at 10 a.m. and close at 7 p.m., with lifeguards on duty and free admission throughout the weekend.

With just a few weeks between the onset of spring weather and Memorial Day weekend, the frequent blasts of rain alternating with stretches of blinding sunshine have made for a heavy workload.

"Once (the weather) finally broke, we had a lot of rain," Kaplanis said. "The grass has grown all over, so they're playing catch-up right now. They're a little bit behind, but they're doing the best they can.

"That's what makes everything get crazy."

The forecast is more promising for Monday. Those looking to honor those who gave their lives in service to the country can watch the annual Memorial Day parade in Danbury.

A 5K road race will precede the parade, starting at 8:45 a.m. on the CityCenter Danbury Green. Race-day registration will cost $30 and can be done in person starting at 7 a.m. or online at hitekracing.com.

The parade will kick off at 9:30 a.m. at Main and Rose Streets and continue down Main Street to the reviewing stand at Rogers Park, where a skydiving team will parachute in about 10:45 a.m.